Free word search maker and printables

Science Word Search

Nine science topics or your own vocabulary list, to print for class or play online.

This science word search is a free, browser-based puzzle maker that builds a science word search grid for you in seconds. It runs in your web browser, with no sign-up and no download. Pick a science topic such as Space, Biology, Earth science, Chemistry, Physics, Human body, Plants, Elements or STEM jobs. Then choose a grid size from 8×8 to 30×30 and a difficulty level, and the tool places the hidden words for you. The page opens on a Space puzzle at 15×15 on Medium, with words such as the planets, Galaxy, Nebula and Black hole.

You can also type in your own vocabulary list, print the puzzles with answer keys, or copy a link that opens the exact same grid again.

  1. Choose a topic from the Science group. The page starts on Space, but Biology, Chemistry, Elements and the other topics are in the same list.
  2. Set the grid size. Options run from 8×8 to 30×30.
  3. Set the number of words, from 4 to 60. The tool starts at a good number for the size you chose.
  4. Set the difficulty. Read the hint line under the level before you start.
  5. Find the words. Click or tap the first letter of a word, then its last letter. With a mouse you can also drag across the letters. On the keyboard, use the arrow keys to move, then Enter or Space to mark.
  6. Watch the status line. It shows “Found x of y” and a timer. A found word gets a coloured outline, and its box in “Find these words” is ticked.
  7. If you are stuck, press Hint to make the first letter of an unfound word flash. Press Show answers to outline every word.
  8. When all words are found, the tool shows “Puzzle complete in mm:ss”. Press Next puzzle for a new grid with the same settings.

The game is saved in your browser, so reloading the page continues where you stopped. To print, open the Print panel and set Copies (1 to 20) and Paper size (Letter or A4). Then use one of the three print buttons. Press Copy link to share the same settings and puzzle with a class or friend.

How does a science word search work?

Each puzzle is built from its topic’s word list, and the difficulty level controls which directions the words can run. On Easy, words run left to right or top to bottom only, and they never cross. Medium adds diagonals running down-right and up-right, but never backwards. Hard uses all eight directions, including backwards, and words may cross where letters agree. Expert tries crossings first and fills the empty squares with letters taken from the hidden words, so the whole grid looks alike.

Every hidden word appears exactly once in the grid. A word that sits inside a longer word, such as CAT inside CATERPILLAR, counts only where it was placed.

Good solving starts with a plan. Start with words that have an unusual letter (Q, X, Z, J, K) or a double letter (OO, LL, SS) and look for that letter first. Take the first letter of a word and check all eight neighbouring squares for its second letter. Find the longest words first, and cross each word off as you go. On Hard and Expert, also read backwards and upwards.

What science topics are there?

There are nine topics in the Science group: Space, Biology, Earth science, Chemistry, Physics, Human body, Plants, Elements and STEM jobs. Each topic has its own fixed word list, and the number of words in brackets shows how many the list holds.

  • Space (47): the planets, Galaxy, Nebula, Black hole and more (full list below)
  • Biology (47)
  • Earth science (50)
  • Chemistry (50)
  • Physics (52)
  • Human body (50)
  • Plants (54)
  • Elements (57): element names in US spelling, such as Aluminum, Sulfur and Cesium. This makes it a periodic table elements word search.
  • STEM jobs (46)

Space (47 words): Planet, Star, Galaxy, Comet, Asteroid, Meteor, Moon, Sun, Orbit, Rocket, Astronaut, Telescope, Nebula, Black hole, Supernova, Universe, Cosmos, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Milky Way, Solar system, Eclipse, Gravity, Satellite, Constellation, Space station, Meteorite, Lunar, Solar, Crater, Launch, Capsule, Shuttle, Rover, Light year, Big Bang, Quasar, Pulsar, Aurora, Zenith.

Can teachers use their own vocabulary list?

Yes. Choose “My own words” and paste your unit’s vocabulary, up to 60 terms. This works for any subject, such as a history unit or a language list. Your words stay in your browser and are never uploaded.

Frequently asked questions

Can I print a class set?

Yes. Set Copies from 1 to 20. Every copy has a different arrangement of letters. When the topic has more words than fit the grid, each copy also has a different set of words. Copy 1 is the puzzle on screen.

Is it free?

Yes. It runs in your web browser with no sign-up and no download. Nothing is uploaded to a server.

How do I save the puzzles as a PDF?

Open the Print panel and choose a paper size, Letter or A4. Click one of the print buttons, then choose “Save as PDF” in the print window. Each puzzle prints on its own page with Name and Date lines, and answer keys come after the puzzles.

How do I share the exact same puzzle?

Press “Copy link”. The address holds all your settings and a seed, so it opens the same puzzle again. If you used your own words, they sit after the # sign in the address, which browsers do not send to a server.

How many words can a puzzle hold?

You can choose from 4 to 60 words. On Easy the starting number is never more than the grid size plus 2. Expert puzzles start with about 20% more words than the other levels.

What if my topic has too few words for the grid?

The tool uses all the words that fit and tells you so. Try a larger grid or a different topic if you want more words.